Chapter 111: Lavishness

Xu Yanchuan's blade suddenly sprang from its scabbard, the cold glint flashing just before Li Chongyi's nose.

With a "clang," the sword tip pierced the frozen ground, startling Li Chongyi into a stumble that sent him tumbling into the snowdrift, his official hat rolling off to reveal a scalp bald over most of his head.

"No wonder you're the watchdog even Xu Chengyuan despises," Xu Yanchuan said, grinding the hat beneath his boot, "Even your fleeing posture is this ugly."

Wan Tang stood still in the snow, her brows and eyes beneath the fox‑fur hood as calm as a still ancient well.

Li Chongyi forced a smile as he got up, the accumulated snow fluttering off his robe hem, and said, "Your servant… I will go prepare the carriage at once."

As he left, he still bowed to Xu Yanchuan, looking like a crippled dog that had just been kicked.

When the footsteps faded, only Xu Yanchuan and Wan Tang remained on the snow.

The ceremonial guard continued onward, Li Ping'er seated inside, Xiao Shunzi outside, to ensure no one noticed Wan Tang's absence.

Wan Tang only then stepped forward, and between her brows and eyes appeared much more tenderness.

She said slowly, "Yanchuan, I have something to give you."

Xu Yanchuan raised an eyebrow and looked.

Wan Tang drew a small badge from her sleeve, bearing the passes of major merchants, and said, "I have already paid a deposit of one hundred thousand silver to these firms."

"The Lin family, guaranteed by Lin Zehai. Anyone who dares to default can be teamed with Lin Zehai for a lesson."

She flicked her fingertips, and a stack of contracts scattered like snowflakes, "Grain, cotton, charcoal… all to be traded at thirty percent of market price."

Xu Yanchuan's pupils contracted sharply.

The vermilion seal ink on those contracts was still fresh, the layout clear, evidently the result of meticulous planning.

With these in hand, there is almost no worry about disaster‑relief resources.

Wan Tang presented a small notebook with both hands, "Inside is a rescue manual meticulously drafted after the Fengdu snow disaster, for reference."

Xu Yanchuan took it, half‑believing, half‑doubting.

When he saw the detailed content rendered in delicate flower‑adorned small script, he could not help but be shocked.

Could these things truly have been written by Wan Tang?

A faint smile lifted the corner of her mouth, a trace of pride flashing in her eyes.

But it quickly faded into a veil of dimness.

"Also, Li Chongyi can be taken away. Though he's a spineless wretch, he is an outright corrupt official, capable of sustaining nearly half the Capital's officials on his own, showing he knows the art of embezzlement thoroughly."

"Knowing both oneself and the enemy makes handling local corrupt officials easier."

Wan Tang's plan was detailed and thorough; Xu Yanchuan's ears twitched slightly.

"Ha!" Xu Yanchuan burst into a loud laugh, the blood‑stained bandage trembling with his shoulder blade, "Your Majesty truly makes full use of everything?"

"Does the Emperor even know about such formidable tactics?"

"You've been scheming these things for quite some time, haven't you? Why give them to me now?"

The chill on Xu Yanchuan's face was truly sharper than snow, "What do you want me to scheme for you?"

"The consort rank? Or the Noble Consort position?"

Wan Tang's hand lightly rested on her lower abdomen.

A snowflake landed on her eyelashes, melting quickly with her body heat, "To rescue the people from fire and flood."

Xu Yanchuan's smile froze at the corner of his mouth.

For a brief instant, a barely‑catchable ripple flashed in the young general's eyes, but it was instantly covered by a sneer, "Deal."

As he turned, his great cloak billowed, and he rolled all the contracts into his bosom.

Jingren Palace.

Hundreds of gilt palace lanterns illuminated the Grand Hall as brightly as daylight; behind a curtain of South Sea pearls, Xiao Mingshu sat regally upon the Nine‑Phoenix Jewel‑crowned throne.

The crimson phoenix robe, embroidered with gold‑thread peonies, glowed dazzlingly under the light, making the rouge on her lips appear as blood.

"We, the officials, respectfully wish the Empress everlasting longevity."

In the hall, a hundred officials knelt together, their chants of tribute rising and falling:

"Jiangnan weavers present ten bolts of shark‑silk, studded with one hundred Eastern Pearls!"

"The Lingnan Military Governor offers a red coral tree, six feet six inches tall!"

"Minister of the Ministry of Rites Xiao presents a whole jade Guanyin statue from Hetian, flawlessly carved."

…

Xiao Mingshu's fingertip brushed the jade Guanyin's lotus seat, a perfectly timed faint smile at her lips, "Gentlemen, you have shown great intention."

Her eyes flickered, "I truly feel unworthy of receiving this."

"Your Majesty's motherly virtue rules the world; she deserves it!" Xiao, the Minister, twirled his mustache and laughed heartily, though his peripheral glance fell on the Ministry of War seat.

Xu Chengyuan was idly rubbing the Tiger Tally at his waist, and upon hearing that sneered, "Minister Xiao is so extravagant; this jade Guanyin could be worth thirty thousand stone units of disaster‑relief grain."

Chu Yunzheng leaned casually against the dragon‑patterned desk, amber liquor swirling in the Nightlight Cup.

His gaze swept over the concubines vying in splendor.

Lady of Grace Qi was presenting a gold‑inlaid jade ruyi to the Empress, the jade bracelet on her wrist jingling.

Li Pin deliberately tipped over her wine cup, the soaked sheer robe revealing a mandarin‑duck‑patterned belly wrap.

Fortunately, Xu Luoyan was restrained, though it was unclear how she might have been enchanting otherwise.

How could these vulgar folk possibly compare even a fraction to Tangtang?

Su Yanci sat alone in a corner, his dark brocade robe half‑open; he casually tossed a congratulatory gift—a yellowed scroll of "Treatise on Salt and Iron"—to a junior eunuch, and his self‑serving manner looked as if he were watching a play.

The Empress glanced at the gift, clearly displeased, but, with the Emperor present, said nothing.

Zhou Su's fist clenched under the table, turning blue.

He stared at the imperial banquet before him, which had not moved a muscle:

A gold leaf floated atop the bird‑nest soup bowl.

A bear's paw is drizzled with Western Region grape wine.

Even the plates holding the pastries are carved from a single piece of jade.

"Lord Zhou, why aren't you moving your chopsticks?" Minister Xiao suddenly challenged, "Do you think the Imperial Kitchen is being negligent?"

Now that Zhou Su has just entered Jingjiao, he is a speech official whom the Emperor tolerates greatly; the point is, he has not yet taken a side.

Zhou Su rose slowly, and the white hawk embroidered on the patch of his official robe glared under the lamp: "I, your subordinate, dreamed last night of frozen disaster victims gnawing at bark; I truly cannot swallow any food."

The entire hall fell into sudden, dead silence.

Such a tacitly understood, unspoken matter was only something Zhou Su dared to voice.

Minister Xiao found it even funnier: "Disaster victims? It's merely that the snow was a bit heavier, Lord Zhou, and you utter such nonsense."

General Xu Chengyuan echoed, "Lord Zhou must have been drunk!"

Chu Yunzheng's wine cup suddenly clanged onto the table: "I, the Emperor, had no idea that Minister Zhou could interpret dreams."

A smile curled at his lip, but ice settled in his eyes, "Why not tell us what else you dreamed?"

"The red‑gate wine and meat rot, while the road bears frozen dead bones."

Zhou Su's voice was soft, yet it cut through the warm banquet like an ice blade.

The hall's music and dance halted abruptly; the musicians, clutching their sheng and xiao, froze in place, and even the palace maids shuttling wine held their breath.

Xiao Mingshu's armor scraped a harsh sound against the phoenix seat's armrest: "Lord Zhou, are you accusing this palace of extravagant excess?"

She suddenly rose, the bead strings of her nine‑phoenix Step Shake swinging wildly, "Attendants! Remove all these wine and dishes."

"Your Highness need not put on airs," Zhou Su stared at the phoenix seat, the white hawk on his robe's patch poised to take flight, "The three‑ten‑thousand taels of snowflake silver approved by the Ministry of Revenue yesterday is now inlaid on your phoenix crown."

He pointed to the pigeon‑blood stone at the Empress's hair side, "This gem would feed the Jingjiao disaster victims for half a year."

"Bang!"

Chu Yunzheng suddenly kicked the table over, wine spilling over his dark robe.

Everyone hurried to kneel.

Chu Yunzheng said nothing, only uttered, "I shall be right back."

He turned as if to change clothes, but the one who followed was Ouyang Qing, already dressed in a guard's uniform.

Su Yanci, eyes blurry from drunkenness, looked around and suddenly said, "Has Consort Wan returned from buying winter plants?"

"That Consort Wan probably won't return," Lady of Grace Qi chuckled, pinching a gold‑threaded handkerchief to her lips, her eyes flashing with schadenfreude, "I heard the rioters outside the City have begun practicing cannibalism."

Lady of Grace Lan immediately replied, her slender jade fingers twirling a colored‑glass cup, "Indeed? I heard Young Master Xu has set up twelve crossbow stations at the city gates."

She deliberately lowered her voice, "They are waiting to shoot those who break the rules."

A low murmur of laughter rose within the hall.

Several consorts exchanged glances, unable to suppress the curve of their smiles.

Xiao Mingshu sneered as the situation unfolded.

"We are all sisters; why say anything? It's better if this harem remains modest," Xiao Mingshu said, her tone lingering with hidden meaning.

Minister Xiao twirled his mustache, chuckling, raised his cup toward Xu Chengyuan, "General Xu raises his son well. This move of waiting for the rabbit is most clever."

Xu Chengyuan tipped his head back, draining the cup, his smugness evident, "My son may be useless, but dealing with a handful of women who know no bounds is still a piece of cake."

"In any case, she still wants to return to this harem—she's dreaming!"

Zhou Su's cold indifference was like frost.

So this Former Dynasty harem—who doesn't know the people's suffering?

But they all merely pretend to be deaf and mute!

"Bang!"

The hall doors were suddenly thrust open with force.

A cold wind howled in, swirling snowflakes.

Wan Tang, clad in a plain white fox fur, stood at the doorway, a red plum with snow perched in her hair, vivid and dripping.

"Your Highness, I return late," Wan Tang bowed gracefully, her voice bright, "I have specially transplanted a century‑old red plum for the Empress to celebrate her longevity."